“Hopefully not that spot by the side of the road.”
I laughed and touched his shoulder. “No, that was an emergency stop.”
He stood up and towered over me by almost a foot. “You came all this way to be with me?”
My blood warmed as I looked into his soulful eyes. “Is that okay?”
He brushed his thumb along my cheek. “I would be honored if you showed me your city. But I have to warn you—humans make me uncomfortable. In fact, so do Vampires, Chitahs, and—”
“You should give people the benefit of the doubt. When you spend all your time around Shifters, you make the world a smaller place. Come with me, Tak. It’ll pass the time and won’t cost a penny.” I stood on my tiptoes and gave him a hopeful smile. “I have the day off. Please say yes.”
He cupped my face in his hands. “For that smile, I’d walk through a firestorm.”
His words moved down my body like silk. Tak’s feather-soft kiss had me leaning in for more, my hands flattening against his broad chest. The way he tunneled his fingers through my hair and took his time made this kiss entirely different from any other. It lingered, and its lazy course didn’t reduce me to a sex-starved animal. All I knew was that kiss—the familiar taste of his lips, the gentle slide of his tongue against mine, the tender way he held me, and most especially the way his heart quickened against my palms when I softly kissed the corner of his mouth as we broke apart.
He gave me an admonishing glance. “You’re not thinking about paying for anything, are you?”
“Would you have a problem with a woman paying? Are youthatold-fashioned about gender rules, or is it because it might bruise your alpha pride?”
A roguish grin appeared, and his eyes danced with amusement. “Duckie, you’ve got backbone. Anyone ever tell you that?”
“Not often enough.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. When his eyes met with mine again, he lifted me into his arms, my feet dangling off the ground. “Show me what I’ve been missing all my life.”
* * *
Even though I’dpromised to stay in the Breed district, we drove to South Congress so he could see the vendors and eateries, and get a view of the Texas Capitol. Tak turned up his nose at the quirky antique stores and costume shops, and he definitely didn’t like that someone had spray-painted the side of Home Slice Pizza and a few other buildings. I tried to explain the eccentricities of the neighborhood, but his naivety was obvious. He’d grown up in a rural Shifter community and probably didn’t watch television more than he needed to, if they even owned one.
Tak enjoyed walking, but he kept his fists clenched as if ready for battle. The city must have seemed like a foreign country for a man who had spent his life on tribal land. We stopped in front of a taco bar to listen to a local band playing folk music. The way Tak’s nose lifted with every scent in the air hadn’t escaped my attention.
“Do you want to see the bats later?” I asked.
His brows furrowed. “Bats?”
I chuckled softly. “Maybe another time. Are you sure you don’t want to eat? Nothing goes together like free music and tacos.”
Tak waved his hand and continued strolling up the sidewalk. “That’s not real food.”
“Then whatisreal food?”
“Come with me, and I’ll show you.” He led me back to his truck, and after a short drive, gestured toward a farmers market.
“Thisis real food,” he said, parking up front.
“If you like this, you should see the one they have downtown on Saturday.”
Once inside, Tak spoke with a man regarding the price of sausages. When he pried open his wallet and glanced inside, he thanked the man and wandered over to the vegetables. While Tak was distracted, I quickly darted to the counter and asked for the meat. It became a fun game—following him around, adding everything he admired to my basket. When he headed to the bathroom, I seized the chance to make my purchase.
Several minutes later, after I’d memorized all the different cheeses, I swung my head up and saw Tak buying something at the counter. When he turned around, he handed me a giant sunflower.
I twirled it between my fingers. “You shouldn’t waste your money on such things.”
“Best money I’ve spent. Are you ready? There’s nothing here for me.”
I handed him the bags. “I disagree.”
Tak’s eyes rounded when he looked inside. My lips eased into a grin, and I strutted out the door.
